A former President of Ghana, Jerry John Rawlings, has charged his country's President, John Mahama, to check what he describes as the “unprecedented levels of corruption” in the West African country.
The former military ruler, who has been criticised by members of the opposition New Patriotic Party, for his apparent silence on the state of the economy, said it is time for Mahama to deal with the "opulence" in his government.
Speaking at an honorary ceremony at the University of Education, Winneba, Thursday, ex-President Rawlings said: “Our leaders must be able to play by the book. People with conscience are sometimes appalled by the extreme insensitivity displayed by some political appointees.”
“The unprecedented levels of corruption, offensive show of power and opulence by some at a time when our country requires prudence and frugality is something that I call on President Mahama and his vice to set their eyes on,” Rawlings stressed.
The founder of the governing NDC added that “the people need to see a sign that government is seriously committed to cleaning up [the] house so they can follow suit."
According to him, “we cannot fight the various forms of corruption if we do not take on leaders and so-called untouchables who have sought to institutionalize corruption. We need to restore Ghana to a status of a country worth dying for.”
The University of Education, as part of the ceremony also conferred honorary awards on Abdul Salam Abubakar, former president of Nigeria and Prof Jophus Anamua-Mensah, first principal of the University.
Check unprecedented corruption in gov't - JJ
